Runaways
by Futatsu no Kagami
Summary: After Elena's death, Stefan left Mystic Falls, leading him to New York. He then saves the life of Serena van der Woodsen. How will this meeting affect both their lives. Set in GG 5X24 and an alternate end to TVD 3X22.
1. Encounter

**A/N: This is my first crossover story. Please review and tell me what you think.**

**I do not own TVD or GG.**

* * *

Stefan never like being in big cities.

Back then, he probably would have had fun in a place like New York City, mainly because of the fact that people would be too busy in their own lives to see someone else mysteriously disappear. So the big cities were a perfect place for a vampire looking for an easy meal.

The only way Stefan would come to a city like this is as a passerby. Stefan rode through the streets on his motorcycle, trying to ignore the noise around him.

"Just get through and you'll be fine," he said to himself. He had been driving for four straight days, trying to get as much distance from Mystic Falls and anyone who would try to follow and he was now low on blood.

As Stefan was close to reaching the train station for an exit, he started to think about her, Elena. Stefan wondered what it would have been like if he had brought to a place like New York. She probably would have been thrilled to see the sites with him.

Then Stefan was brought back to reality, and the reality was that Elena died. Stefan shook his head and focused on leaving. He then exited from the city and continued driving.

As he reached far enough, Stefan hit the brakes and stopped. He pulled out a blood bag and drank a little from it, trying to save the remaining bags he had left.

As he got back on his bike, he started to hear a commotion. He started driving and listened to where it was coming from.

Eventually, Stefan saw a stopped train and a crowd of people. He approached the scene. "Excuse me," he asked one of the train employees. "What's going on?"

"It was terrible," the employee said. "It seems one of the passengers, a woman, was taking drugs in the train. Another passenger saw her unconscious and called for help. We had to stop the train as a result."

Stefan had a look and saw two train medics carrying a woman out of the train. She had very fair skin and blonde hair. Stefan could hear that she was still breathing but very weakly. He looked at the two medics and saw that they did not have the sufficient medical tools to help her.

Stefan stepped towards them. "She needs to get to a hospital."

"Sir, we know that. Please calm down," one of the medics said. "Unfortunately, the closest hospital is back in New York. We're going to have to go back."

"I t could take hours for the train to get back." Stefan said. "I have a motorcycle. I can take her to the hospital faster with it. Let me help her. "

"Sir, unless you have proof that you know this woman, we can't just give her to you." The second medic said.

Stefan looked at the first medics. "Give her to me _now_!" Stefan commanded, using his compulsion. "If anyone asks, tell them that I'm her brother."

The medic nodded and stepped aside.

"What are you doing!" the second medic shouted, shocked.

"It's okay, he's her brother," the first medic responded.

Before anything else could be said, Stefan started carrying the woman and got on his motorcycle. He put her arms around his waist and he started driving back to New York as fast as he could.

"I'm going to make it this time!" Stefan said. He could hear the woman's heartbeat, there was still time. "I won't see someone else die in front of me!" He revved his engine and started speeding up.

Stefan finally saw a hospital and sighed with relief. He hit the brakes and brought the woman inside.

* * *

Serena opened her eyes and saw that she was in a hospital bed. She had no idea what happened. The last thing she remembered was taking the cocaine she bought.

"_I must have overdosed,_" she thought. Serena tried getting up but she was too tired. She then noticed that she was not alone in the room. She saw a young man sleeping on a chair next to her. He had short, dark brown hair and Serena could see that he was very handsome.

"Hello?" Serena said, causing the man to wake up.

"You're awake!" the man quickly got up and called the doctor.

As the doctor came in, Serena started asking some questions. "What happened?" she asked.

"You passed out from a drug overdose," the doctor answered. "Your brother over here rushed you to the hospital as fast as he could."

Serena turned to the man with a confused look. The man gave her a look that most likely meant to just go along with it.

"I'll let you have your rest. Your brother just needs to sign a few papers and you'll be able to leave tomorrow." The doctor soon left.

Serena turned to the man. "My brother?"

"They would only allow family members inside. I couldn't leave you alone," the man said.

Serena smiled. "Well at least let me know the name of my knight in shining armor."

The man gave a small smile and extended. "It's Stefan. Stefan Salvatore."

Serena took his hand. "Serena," she said. "Serena van der Woodsen."

"You should probably get some rest," Stefan said.

"Yeah. Is it okay if you leave for a while, I sleep better if I'm alone," Serena requested.

Stefan then gave a serious look. "I don't think I should leave you alone."

"And why not?" Serena asked.

Stefan then stood up. "Because it's not a good idea to leave someone who had a drug overdose alone. Can you explain why a girl like you is doing something stupid like taking drugs?"

Serena's face turned sour. "I don't think I need to explain myself to a complete stranger."

"A complete stranger who just saved your life," Stefan argued.

Serena looked away from him and said nothing.

Stefan sighed. "Look, I can imagine that the only reason a person like you would be taking drugs is to forget something painful. Trust me, I understand."

After hearing that, Serena faced Stefan with an angry look. "No, stop right there! Do not start giving me the 'I understand how you feel' crap!" Tears started to fill Serena's eyes. "You have no way of understanding what I went through!"

"Believe it or not, I do understand!" Stefan responded. "I know you've someone in your life. You feel that without that person, you have nothing left to live for. The guilt you feel is making you wishing that if you had made a different decision, then you wouldn't have made that mistake. You think that running will help you forget. You just want to do whatever it takes to make the pain go away, even if it kills you."

Serena looked at Stefan as she wiped away her tears. "How could you possibly know all that?"

"Because," Stefan began, "I've been through all that. As many times as I can remember, most recently actually. I know that the guilt your feeling is eating at you from the inside, but trust me, it's going to get better."

"What makes you so sure?" Serena asked.

"Well, I haven't killed myself yet," Stefan answered.

Serena gave a small laugh. "Are you always this funny with the girls you save?"

Stefan smiled. "Only when I have to pay for their hospital bill."

Both of them soon started laughing.


	2. Making Decisions

**A/N: Please review.  
**

**I do not own TVD or GG.  
**

* * *

After they talked, Stefan let Serena get some rest. The following day, as Stefan entered her room, he saw Serena was already fully dressed.

"What are you doing?" Stefan asked.

Serena turned around and was surprised to see him. "Oh, you're back. I was about to leave. The doctor said I'm allowed to leave today."

Stefan gave troubling look. "I can't let you leave by yourself."

"Look," Serena said. "Thanks for the whole rescue yesterday, but I really need to leave. I need to get as much distance as I can from New York."

"Well that's going to be a problem if your forced to stay here by the doctors," Stefan said.

"What!" Serena shouted. "The doctor said I could leave today."

"That was before they found your hospital record." Stefan showed her a folder. "It says here that this isn't the first time that you were hospitalized for taking drugs."

"That was a year ago," Serena defended. "I didn't even take them voluntarily, someone drugged me!"

"That doesn't matter," Stefan said. "The doctors want to keep you here to see if your mentally fit to even go out by yourself."

"What!" Serena shouted. "Do they think I'm suicidal, because I am not!"

"Calm down," Stefan said. "I was able to convince the doctors to let you out."

Serena gave a sigh of relief.

"If," Stefan continued. "you come with me to help you."

"Excuse me? What is that supposed to mean?" Serena annoyingly asked.

"It means that I can get you out of here only if you come with me so that I can help you before you hurt yourself again," Stefan responded.

"I am not just going to go with someone I know nothing about except his name," Serena argued.

"Fine then," Stefan said. "You don't have to come with me. But doctors won't let you leave without me being next to you. If you don't come with me, I can just tell the doctors to contact your family, and they'll most likely send you to some rehab center, which you probably don't want.

Serena was shocked. "Are you kidnapping me by blackmailing me!"

"No," Stefan said. "I'm blackmailing you so that I can protect you from hurting yourself. It's your choice."

Serena was silent for a moment. She thought about her options: Option 1,if she stayed, her mother would find out and probably do something even worse that last time. Option 2, if she left with Stefan, it would remove the complications of her family and replace it with the complications of going with a tall dark stranger who save her life or who could also be a thief or serial killer. Either way her options were not easy to choose.

Before Serena answered she asked Stefan a question. "Can I trust you?"

Stefan smiled. "Look, I know I may look mysterious and dangerous, but can trust me. I can promise that."

Finally Serena sighed. "Fine, I'll go with you."

* * *

As they exited the hospital, Serena stopped for a moment. "Oh my god! I forgot my phone, purse and my bags at the train." She grabbed Stefan's arm. "We need to go back, now!"

Stefan grabbed her shoulders. "Serena calm down. I got all your things."

Serena was confused. "You what?"

Stefan brought Serena to his motorcycle and she saw her bags tied to the back.

"Oh my god!" Serena ran to her bags and checked if they were all there. She then turned to Stefan and smiled. "How did you get all my things from the train?"

"I went back to the train station when you were asleep," Stefan said.

"You were able to go to the train station, track down my bags, and come back here while I was asleep?" Serena couldn't believe it.

Stefan shrugged. "I have a good memory, and I'm pretty fast."

Serena hugged Stefan. "Thank you."

"All right then," Stefan said, pulling back from the hug. "Come on." He got on his motorcycle and Serena got behind him, holding his waist.

"So, exactly where are you taking me?" Serena asked.

"Like you requested, somewhere away from New York." Stefan revved his motorcycle and they drove off.

* * *

A man watched Stefan and Serena as they drove off. He pulled out a cellphone and called a number.

"He just left with the girl. What should I do now?" The man nodded at what the other person on the line said. "Understood."

The man got into a car and drove into the direction of Stefan and Serena.


	3. Moving In

**A/N: Please review.  
**

**I do not own TVD or GG.  
**

* * *

It had been a year since Stefan was in Chicago. The last time Stefan was here, Klaus had brought him to find fix his ' hybrid problem' and Stefan found out ab out his and Klaus' history together. Other than that recent trip, Chicago was the place Stefan had been when he was living as the Ripper. He can still remember t he horrible things he did and all o people he killed here.

Stefan gave a soft laugh. He found it ironic that the place where he almost destroyed himself was the place where he was helping someone save herself from destruction.

"What's so funny?" Serena asked.

"Nothing, just remembering old times," Stefan said.

They stopped beside an old apartment building. "This is where we'll be staying? " Serena asked.

"I have an old apartment in here. It's a not a five-star hotel, but the building is still good to live in." Stefan said.

"As long as no one knows me here, it'll do," Serena said as she took down her bags.

They entered Stefan's apartment and Stefan saw that nothing had changed since he was gone.

"Have you ever heard of house keeping?" Serena said, covering her mouth from the smell of the room.

"It's been a while since I've been in here," Stefan said. As they walked in, a floorboard broke and Serena's foot fell in it. "It's been a _long_ time since I've been here."

"I can see that," Serena said as she got her foot out.

"Maybe, this isn't isn't a good place to stay," Stefan said, starting to reconsider this location.

"No," Serena said. "What we need to do is start shopping and make this place look more livable."

Stefan gave her a confused look.

* * *

As they got outside, they started looking through some stores.

"What exactly are we suppose to be looking for?" Stefan asked.

"For starters: furniture, food, and clearly someone to clean," Serena answered.

Stefa sighed. "Alright fine, I can handle the furniture and food, you can take care of finding someone to clean the place. We can work faster if we split up . "

"Split up?" Serena questioned. "Aren't you worried that I might just run off and not come back?"

Stefan gave a small smile. "Can I trust you?"

Serena chuckled. "Okay, I see what you did there. Fine, I'll looking for some cleaning help."

"Meet back at the apartment before night . We need to discuss some things," Stefan said as he turned around and left.

"Right," Serena answered, slightly worried. "discuss some things."

* * *

It wasn't that hard for Stefan to get so me food. However, the furniture was the difficult part. Luckily for Stefan, its times like that where compulsion can be come very useful. It also helps when you need to restock on blood bags.

Stefan gripped the cooler he 'acquired' from the hospital, hoping that no one would ask questions about it and the grocery bags and made his way back to the apartment. Just then, Stefan saw a red car slowly parking. The driver quickly got out and started walking in Stefan's direction. Stefan recognized that car from when he and Serena were on the road to Chicago, and before they left New York.

Stefan started to walk faster. he then quickly turned to a corner. The man followed and when he turned to the corner and into an alley, he saw that Stefan was gone, seeing only the bags and cooler. The man turned around, and Stefan was already behind him. He grabbed the man by the collar and threw him up against the wall.

"Alright, I'm only going to ask this once, who are you and why are you following me!" Stefan shouted.

The man did not answer Stefan's question s. Instead, he struggled and broke one arm free. The man pulled out a hidden knife from his sleeve and he stabbed himself in the neck. Stefan dropped him and the man died instantly.

"Compulsion," Stefan said. He searched the man's pockets for any information, but they were all empty. He then grabbed the body and threw it inside a dumpster, planning to get rid of it later. Stefan picked up his bags and started walking.

As he walked out of the alley, Stefan was thinking why a vampire would send a compel a person to follow him.

* * *

After almost an hour of searching, Serena was finally able to find someone to clean the apartment. After she brought the cleaner into the apartment, and after several hours of extensive cleaning, Serena saw that the place looked almost brand new.

"Hopefully Stefan can get another bed in here," Serena said as she saw only one bed.

Serena had waited for several hours, but Stefan still had not returned. This gave her the idea to have a look around at the apartment. Serena looked through the small rooms, but found nothing that would suggest that Stefan would want to hurt her.

"Maybe I'm just over thinking this," she told herself. As Serena started to unpack her things, she saw that Stefan had left his bag. She started to think that maybe that maybe she would be able to find out about Stefan through his belongings.

Serena stepped towards the bag and as she picked it up, she hesitated for a moment. "_What am I doing?_" she thought. She dropped the bag to where it was and she continued unpacking, trying to forget about what she was going to do.

* * *

It was almost nighttime when Stefan arrived back at the apartment. He put the groceries on a table and saw Serena sitting down on the couch.

"Hey sorry I'm back late. It was really hard finding some good furniture," Stefan said.

Serena gave no response, which made Stefan wonder what happened.

"Anyway," Stefan continued, "the apartment looks better and I ordered another bed that will be delivered her by tomo-"

"I almost went through your bag!" Serena shouted.

Stefan stopped talking as she shouted. "Wait, you what?"

"I'm so sorry! I was just nervous and scared because I don't know anything about you and I thought you were going to hurt me. I just needed to find something to give me a reason to leave, so I was going to look in your bag. But then I remembered how you saved me and now all this helping me with my problems and I just couldn't do it!" Serena buried her face in her hands.

Stefan walked up to her. "Serena, it's okay. It's not your fault."

Serena looked up to his face. Stefan continued. "I know that this whole situation is complicated right now. But you can believe this: I would never hurt you, understand?"

Tears started to fall from Serena's eyes as she hugged Stefan. "I'm sorry."

Stefan put his arms around Serena. "Everything will be fine. Get some rest. We can talk about what we're going to do tomorrow."

Serena nodded and gave a smile. Stefan smiled back.


	4. Counseling

**A/N: Please review.  
**

**I do not own TVD or GG.  
**

* * *

The following day, it was almost noon when Stefan had woken up. He got off the couch and saw that Serena was still fast asleep. He decided to go out and deal with the body he hid yesterday. He quietly sneaked out of the apartment and into the outside.

Stefan arrived at the alley where he left the body. However, when he looked in the dumpster, Stefan discovered that the body was gone.

"What the hell?" Stefan could see traces of blood beneath the dumpster and some drag marks, which meant that the body was moved. Stefan had to find out who was following him before things escalate. He then headed back to the apartment.

As Stefan opened the door and stepped inside, he saw Serena awake, and a towel wrapped around her.

"You're awake," Stefan said as he averted his eyes.

"Um, yeah," Serena answered, her face a little pink. "When I woke up, you were gone, so I thought I should take a shower."

"I should probably wait outside." Stefan then stepped back out.

"You can come in now." Stefan entered again and Serena was fully dressed.

"Sorry about that," Serena said, her face still pink.

"It's okay," Stefan answered, still a little flustered.

After a moment of awkward silence, they both sat down.

"So," Serena began, "what's the first step to stop me from hurting myself again?"

"Well, the first step to every problem would be to talk about it," Stefan answered.

Serena sighed. "I was afraid you'd say that."

"It'll be fine. You can stop any time you want," Stefan said

Serena looked at Stefan and smiled. "Thanks."

Serena took a deep breath. "I guess the best place to start is when Blair, my best friend, started dating Dan, my ex-boyfriend."

Stefan's eyes widened in shock. "That sounds complicated."

"It really is," Serena replied. "I tried to ignore my own feelings and be happy for them. But it was very difficult, especially when I could see that Blair was still in love with someone else, Chuck. It ended with the both of us arguing and then she kicked me out of her place, telling me that she was better off without me in her life."

"I'm sure she didn't mean that. Your friend was probably just upset," Stefan said.

"Blair and I have had hundreds of fights over the years and we always made up. But after something like that, I don't think that we were going to fix things between us." Serena sighed. "So I decided to get back at her."

"Get back at her?" Stefan asked.

Serena nodded. "I knew that Blair was going to make a choice between being with Dan or Chuck, so I went to where Dan was going to wait for Blair and made him think that she chose Chuck. He was so upset, so I...comforted him."

"You two had sex," Stefan clearly knew what Serena meant by 'comforted'.

"Yes, we had sex." Serena continued, "and to top that of, I recorded it all. Dan found out and he was furious."

Serena stopped for a moment. Stefan could see that talking about Dan was difficult for her. "Did you love him?"

Serena wiped some forming tears from her eyes and gave a sad smile. "I told him that I did. He just said that he never wanted to see me again."

"Well," Serena said. "that's the reason why I left New York. Or at least I tried to leave. That was around the time you saved me."

"Look," Stefan said, "I know you think you screwed up, but that happens. Sometimes we make decisions that can hurt the people we care about. But deep down, there is still a chance that you can forgive each other."

Serena laughed bitterly. "After what I did, I'd be lucky if either of them can stand being in the same room with me."

"Running away won't stop the pain you feel," Stefan argued.

"No, but it helps you forget," Serena shot back. "Haven't you ever done anything to make the pain stop?"

Stefan fell silent. He remembered the times when he shut off his humanity to keep living his eternal existence. "Yes."

Serena knew that she hit a nerve. "Sorry. It's just that in the hospital, you said you understood how I felt. Did you lose someone too?"

Stefan chuckled. "So now it's my turn to share my screwed-up life?"

Serena gave a small smile. "If you want to."

Stefan's face grew dark. "Her name was Elena. It's been almost a week since she died."

Serena put her hand over her mouth in shock.

"She was in a car accident with a friend and they fell into a river," Stefan continued. "I was able to get there in time. I tried to save her, but she wanted me to save her friend first. I did what she asked, but before I could get to her, it was too late. Elena drowned."

"Stefan, stop," Serena said, hearing the pain in Stefan's voice.

"I brought her body to the hospital," Stefan continued, ignoring Serena's words. "After just looking at her for a while, I packed my things and I left."

"That's enough Stefan!" Serena pleaded.

Stefan stopped for while, then spoke again. "Humph, look at us. Two people who's lives just got screwed over."

"What happened to me is nothing compared to what happened to you," Serena said.

"I know," Stefan replied. "but that doesn't mean it doesn't hurt any less."

Serena stood up and put her arms around Stefan. "I think that's enough of talking."

"You're right." Stefan then pulled away. "Do you want a drink?"

* * *

It was nightfall when they arrived at a bar. Stefan and Serena saw that there were a lot of people inside.

"Is this place always crowded?" Serena asked as they entered.

"When I came here, it usually was. Though the previous owner had better tastes," Stefan answered, remembering that the previous owner, Gloria, was killed the last time he came in here.

They saw that there were dozens of people and no room for movement.

"Maybe we should go somewhere else?" Serena suggested.

"No, wait." Stefan approached two men sitting in the bar. He tapped their shoulders and they turned around. "Leave," he told them both, using his compulsion. Both men stood up and walked out.

Stefan sat down and offered Serena the other seat. "How did you do that?" Serena asked as she sat down.

"I can be very convincing," Stefan replied as he signaled to the bartender for some drinks. The bartender gave them two shot glasses and a bottle of liquor.

Stefan poured the liquor into the glasses and gave one to Serena."Our lives got screwed up, but now we're out of them. Is that a good thing to look at?"

Serena took the glass. "I guess it is."

Stefan then raised his glass. "To freedom from our screwed-up lives."

Serena snickered as she raised her glass as well. "To freedom."

They both then drank.

After a few hours, they were both still in the bar, laughing and forgetting about their worries.

"Are you drunk yet?" Serena asked.

Stefan shook his head. "You?"

Serena giggled a bit. "Maybe just a little." She took another shot, but it spilled on her clothes. "Oh god! Just wait here, I need to go wash this off." She then stood up and tried to look for a bathroom.

Stefan chuckled a bit, happy at seeing Serena not so depressed.

Suddenly, A young woman quickly took Serena's seat.

"Excuse me," Stefan said. "that seat is for my-"

The woman turned around and Stefan lost his voice as he saw her face.

"Stefan," the woman said.

"Elena?"

* * *

As Serena made her way through the bar and back to her seat, she accidentally bumped into someone and fell to the floor.

"Oh my god! I'm so sorry!" Serena could hear the person say. She could hear that it was a young girl's voice.

As she got up, she was still a little disoriented, but Serena could tell that the girl was surprised to see her face.

"Serena!" the girl shouted.

As Serena's head cleared, she was shocked as well to see a blonde young girl who she knew all too well.

"Jenny!"


	5. Familiar Faces

**A/N: Please review.  
**

**I do not own TVD or GG.  
**

* * *

"Stefan," Elena began. "I missed you so-"

Before she could finished, Stefan quickly grabs a knife from the counter and stabs her side..

"Stefan, why did you do that?" Elena jerked back in pain. The other people, distracted by the crowds and alcohol, had not taken any notice to what happened.

"You can change your hair and act like her," Stefan said. "But I know it's you. Katherine."

The hurt and pained face of 'Elena' quickly turned to into an annoyed expression.

"You're no fun," Katherine said as she pulled out the stake and sat back down.

"What the hell were you trying to pull?" Stefan angrily asked.

"Oh come on Stefan, you know me," Katherine innocently said. "Just a girl trying to have some fun. "

"You call pretending to be Elena 'having some fun'." Stefan was pissed at Katherine's actions.

Katherine shrugged. "It's much more fun pretending to be someone's girlfriend. Or should I say dead girlfriend."

Stefan resisted the urge to rip Katherine's throat out. "What are you even doing here? I thought you were still in hiding."

"That was before I found out that Klaus got staked by your history teacher-turned-vampire. So now I'm free to go wherever I want."

"And the first place you choose to go to is Chicago?" Stefan curiously asked.

Katherine gave Stefan a mischievous smile. "Enough about me, let's talk about you. What are you doing in Chicago? Shouldn't you be helping little Jeremy plan his sister's funeral?"

Stefan just looked away and ignored her.

"Does this have anything to do with the blonde you saved in New York?" Katherine asked.

Stefan's body tensed and he looked back at her. "How do you know about Serena?"

"So her name's Serena, well isn't that nice," Katherine sarcastically said. "I expected you two to drive into the sunset after you left the hospital."

Stefan then came to a realization. "It was you. You were the one who compelled that guy to follow us."

"Bingo,' Katherine answered. "Did you really have to catch him though. Compelling for help is so tiring, especially when I have to tell them to kill themselves."

"Why were you following us?" Stefan asked.

"Out of curiosity, that's all," Katherine answered. "I just wanted to know why you saved her. I didn't figure you to go for blondes. I thought you were more for doppelgangers with no pulse."

Stefan's anger nearly reached its breaking point. "Give me one good reason why I shouldn't kill you right now."

Katherine laughed. "One, I could easily kill you first. And two, your not-girlfriend's coming back."

Stefan turned around and Serena walking back to the table. "Katherine we're not do-" As Stefan turned to face Katherine, she was already gone.

"Let's go," Serena said as she pulled Stefan to the door.

"What?" Stefan asked, still confused with what just happened earlier.

"Let's just get out of here," Serena persisted.

As they got outside, Stefan saw someone following them. He could see that it was a young girl with long, blonde hair.

"Serena, wait!" she called.

"Do you know that girl?" Stefan asked.

"I wish I didn't," Serena replied as she pulled Stefan and they started to cross the street.

The girl tried to cross, but several cars were blocking her way, until she lost sight of the both of them.

* * *

When they got back to the apartment, Serena threw herself in the bed, tired and frustrated.

"Who was that girl chasing you?" Stefan asked.

Serena sat up. "Long story." She then asked Stefan a question. "Who was that girl you were talking too?"

"Longer story," Stefan answered.

"Well, she was pretty fast at leaving. I blinked and she was gone," Serena said, trying to change topics.

"Serena, we're going to have to talk about this sooner or later," Stefan said.

Before Serena, could answer, there was a knock on the door. "Serena! I know you're in here!"

"Damn it," Serena quickly ran int the bathroom and locked the door.

Stefan shook his head and opened the door with the same blonde girl at the other side. "Okay, who are you and why are you following Serena?"

The girl exhaled heavily. "My name is Jenny Humphrey and I'm Serena's friend, or at least I was her friend. It's really complicated."

"I keep hearing that," Stefan said. "Get in, you look exhausted."

"Believe me, running through moving cars to keep track of where you ran off was easier than finding the building you went in to." Jenny said as she sat down.

Stefan knocked on the bathroom door. "Serena come out. Jenny wants to talk to you."

"You let her in!" Serena shouted from the other side. "Now I'm not coming out at all!"

Stefan sighed. "Serena, you can either open the door, or I can loosen the bolts and remove it myself."

After a moment of silence, Serena unlocked the door and stepped out.

"I'll be outside. You two clearly have a lot t talk about." Stefan then waited outside.

After he stepped outside, Jenny immediately hugged Serena, who froze at the gesture.

"It's really great to see you!" Jenny happily said.

"You too, I guess," Serena replied as Jenny let her go.

"Wow, I haven't seen you since..." Jenny's voice then trailed off.

"Since you almost killed me," Serena finished.

"That was not my fault! Juliet was one who drugged you!" Jenny argued.

"But you helped her turn everyone against me!" Serena argued back.

"A decision I regretted after you were put in the hospital," Jenny said. "I know we've had our differences Serena, but that doesn't mean you can just run away from someone who you were friends with."

Serena sighed and sat down. "I know I shouldn't have done that. But that's not the reason I tried to get away from you."

"Then why?" Jenny asked as she sat down beside her.

"It's because of Dan," Serena sadly admitted.

Jenny groaned. "Great, what did my brother do now?"

"It's not what he did. It's what I did." Serena then told Jenny about what happened in New York and the events that led to her living in Chicago.

"Wow," Jenny said. "Dan must have been pissed."

"He was," Serena said. "Have you talked to him?"

Jenny shook her head. "My mom cut me off from all contact in New York after what I did last year. The only reason I was able to come here was good grades and a lot of part-time jobs."

Serena smiled. "It really is good to see you again Jenny."

Jenny smiled back. "Me too. So what's with you and Mr. Tall, Dark, and Handsome?"

Serena looked confused. "Stefan? Like I told you, he saved my life and let me stay with him for a while until I figure some things out."

"Are you two..." Jenny started to ask.

"No!" Serena shouted, her face turning pink." We're just friends."

"Well, if you ask me, you look good together," Jenny said as she stood up. She then gave Serena her number. "Call me if you want to talk again."

"Sure," Serena answered. "I'll think about it."

Jenny opened the door and as she left, Stefan stepped back in.

"Did it go well?" he asked.

"It did," Serena said. "Thanks."

Stefan smiled. "No problem. So, what did you two talk about?"

Serena, remembering what Jenny said, started to get flustered. "Oh you know, catching upon old times."

"Well, you should get some sleep, it's been a long night." Stefan said.

"Yeah, we should," Serena agreed, still thinking about what to do with Jenny's words.

* * *

As Jenny headed back to her apartment, she felt a cold wind around her. Then she could feel that she was being followed. As she walked faster, someone grabbed from behind and threw her to the ground.

"Let go of me!" Jenny screamed, but the attacker held her down. She then heard strange chanting and Jenny soon became disoriented.

"The girl you chased," a hypnotic voice said. "when I call for you, you will bring her to me. Use whatever means necessary. Bring her to me."

Jenny then screamed.

Jenny opened her eyes and saw that she was lying on the side of the street.

"_I must have fallen down,_" she thought. She picked up her things and continued walking, not noticing a tattoo of a red crescent moon on the palm of her right hand.


	6. Rising Emotions

**A/N: Please review.  
**

**I do not own TVD or GG.  
**

* * *

A week had passed, and Stefan and Serena had fallen into a routine. Serena would talk about her life in the Upper East Side, after which, Stefan would talk about his life in Mystic Falls.

Stefan was very amused at the many schemes and lies Serena's friends had done, mostly to each other. As for Serena, she was surprised to hear the relationship Stefan had with his brother and the love they both had for Elena.

As they talked, Serena couldn't help but stare at Stefan. Every time he would talk, she imagines her heart skipping a beat.

"Serena?" Stefan said, trying to get her attention.

"Yes?" Serena answered, snapping back to reality.

"You were spacing out. Is there something your thinking about?" Stefan asked.

"I was just thinking about how you talked about Elena," Serena quickly said. "She must have been some one special girl."

"She is," Stefan said, then froze. "Was. She was."

Serena could see that Stefan was feeling upset again. "Are you okay?"

Stefan nodded. "I'm fine. Just tired today."

Serena stood up. "I could get you some coffee or something." She started walking to the kitchen when she tripped and almost fell. She closed her eyes for impact, but when she opened her eyes, she saw that her face was inches away from the floor. Serena turned her head and saw that Stefan's hand was around her waist, keeping her from falling.

"Are you okay?" Stefan asked.

Serena was stunned. No one could move that fast. "I will be when you pull me up."

"Right." Stefan pulled Serena up, unintentionally pulling her close to him. Serena could feel Stefan's breath so close to her face.

"Are you still okay?" Stefan asked again.

"I am now," Serena said before she leaned forward and kissed Stefan. She knew what she was doing was wrong, but she didn't care and waited for him to push her away. But, surprisingly, Stefan started to kiss her back.

The moment felt perfect, for about ten seconds, then Stefan pulled away.

"I'm sorry," Stefan said.

"Stefan..." Serena started to say.

"I need some air." Stefan quickly left the apartment.

Serena sat on the couch. She then pulled out her cellphone and started dialing. As it started to ring, Serena started to cry.

* * *

Stefan ordered another bottle, seeing that the first four were not enough to make him forget what happened.

"Drinking alone," Stefan turned around and saw Katherine approaching him. "Plus during the day. That doesn't look good."

Stefan groaned. "What do you want?"

"I came to get a drink, then I find you here, all bitter and self-loathing," Katherine said. "What happened?"

Stefan snickered. "Why would I tell you about my problems?"

"Because you have no one else to talk to," Katherine began. "and I am a delightful person to talk with."

"If it will get you to stop talking, fine," Stefan said. "Serena kissed me."

Katherine gave a confused look. "And that calls for the excessive happy hour your doing?"

"I kissed her back," Stefan finished.

"Still not seeing the problem," Katherine said.

Stefan turned to Katherine. "It's a problem because it's wrong. Elena just died."

Katherine started to understand. "So you're feeling guilty because you made out with a girl while you still have feelings for a dead girl."

"Exactly," Stefan said, taking another sip of his drink.

"I'm not a therapist, so there will be nothing wrong with saying this," Katherine said. "stop sulking and grow a set."

Stefan looked at Katherine in shock. "What?"

"So you like another girl, big whoop. It means you're human. Or at least you did what an actual human would do in your position." Katherine said.

"What are you talking about?" Stefan asked.

"You need to move on Stefan," Katherine started to say. "I know that Elena was true love, but the fact is she's gone. Now, you have a chance to start a new life, apparently with someone who has actual feelings for you."

"That's because she doesn't know what I am!" Stefan shouted. "When I brought Elena into my world, she ended up dead."

"But Serena is not Elena," Katherine countered. "It might end differently. But you won't know unless you give whatever the two of you have a shot."

Stefan sighed. "What if it ends badly."

"Trust me, having a relationship that's doomed to fail is better than not giving it a chance," Katherine replied.

Stefan stayed silent at Katherine's words. He then chuckled. "When did you start giving good advice?"

After I stopped trying to kill you and your friends," Katherine irritably answered.

Stefan then stood up. "Katherine, Tha-"

"Don't," Katerine said. "Just go and tell Serena how you feel."

Stefan gave a small smile at her response and he left.

Katherine shook her head as she took Stefan's unfinished bottle.

* * *

"You kissed him!" Jenny shouted.

"I know, it was stupid," Serena said. She had called Jenny since she had no one else to talk with, but Jenny's excited attitude was not helping her feel any better.

"So what did he do?" Jenny asked.

"What do you think? He left." Serena replied.

"I mean before that. Did anything else happen?" Jenny persisted.

Serena gave a small smile. "He may have kissed me back."

Jenny started to smile in delight. "So are you two together or what?"

Serena's smile faded. "I don't know, he left before I could say anything. It was a mistake."

"You like him don't you? How is that a mistake?" Jenny asked.

"Because he's still in love with Elena," Serena said. "I can tell by the way he talks about her. It was wrong for me to kiss him when he still can't forget his last girlfriend, who just recently died."

"But he kissed you back," Jenny said. "That means that he likes you too. The reason he left is because it's confusing for him too."

"What do I do then?" Serena asked.

"You, wait here and fix yourself," Jenny said as she stood up. "I'll look for Stefan, drag his ass back here, and make him give you an explanation about what's going to happen now."

Serena smiled as Jenny left.

As Serena stood up and wiped away her tears, she heard the door open. "Jenny. did you forget something?"

Serena turned around and she was face-to-face with Stefan

"Hey," Stefan said.

"Hey," Serena said as well.

"We need to talk," Stefan said.

* * *

Jenny entered the bar she had seen Stefan and Serena and started to look for Stefan.

"Stefan!" she shouted as she looked for him. Eventually Jenny could see that Stefan wasn't here.

"You're looking for Stefan?" Jenny turned around and saw a girl with long dark brown hair sitting at the bar.

"Do you know Stefan?" Jenny asked.

"I might," the girl said slyly.

"Well do you have a name?" Jenny asked, annoyed that the girl isn't giving any straight answers.

"Katherine," she answered. "And you must be Serena's friend."

"Do you know where Stefan is or not!" Jenny started to shout.

"No need to yell," Katherine said. "He went back to talk with Serena, so I suggest you sit down and wait."

Jenny sighed. "Why didn't you say that earli-" Jenny suddenly clutched her hand and yelped in pain.

Katherine saw Jenny in agony. "Hey, are you okay?"

Jenny started to hear a voice in her head. "Bring me the girl." The voice continued to say that as Jenny's hurt even more. Suddenly, the pain stopped and Jenny slowly composed herself. "I'm fine. I need to go."

"You were not fine a second ago," Katherine said.

"I just need to leave," Jenny said again. She then started to walk to the door.

"Your not leaving until you tell me what the hell happened to you!" Katherine grabbed Jenny's right wrist and she caught a glimpse of the red crescent tattoo on her hand.

"Let go!" Jenny pulled her arm free and she ran off.

"Oh crap," Katherine said, recognizing the tattoo. She stood up and quickly left the bar.

* * *

Stefan and Serena continued to stare at each other in silence, unable to say anything to each other.

Finally, Serena broke the silence. "What do we need to talk about?"

"What happened earlier," Stefan said. "When you..." His voice trailer off.

"When I kissed you," Serena finished. "I get that it was wrong."

"Serena..." Stefan tried to speak.

"But I don't regret what I did," Serena continued. "I like you Stefan. A lot."

"We can't do this," Stefan said.

"Why not? You kissed me back!" Serena shouted. "You feel something too."

"It's not that simple!" Stefan shouted back. "There are things about me that you don't know about. You won't be safe!"

"I don't want to be safe!" Serena said. "I want to be with you!"

Stefan fell silent, giving no response to Serena words.

"I can't live like this Stefan. I can't have my heart broken again," Serena said. "I need to leave because I can't deal with being next to someone I like whose in love with someone else."

"Serena wait," Stefan pleaded.

"There's nothing left to talk about," Serena said. "Unless you can give me a reason to stay. I can't"

Stefan said nothing, unable to respond.

"I though so." Serena turned around, preparing to pack her things. Before she could, Stefan walked to her and grabbed her hand.

"I can't say anything to convince you," Stefan said. "But I want you to stay, so all I can do is this." he then leaned forward and kissed Serena. Serena kissed him back and pulled him closer.

Stefan pulled back for a moment. "Is that a good answer?"

Serena smiled. "I think I'll need to check that answer again." She pulled him back again and they continued to kiss.

However, they were interrupted by a knock on the door.

"I should probably get that," Stefan said, pulling away.

"Do you?" Serena asked, annoyed.

"Yes, I do." Stefan walked towards the door and opened it, with Jenny walking right through.

"Serena, you need to come with me," Jenny said, her voice cold and monotonous.

"Jenny what's going on?" Serena asked, worried about Jenny's behavior.

"Just come with me!" Jenny said, raising her voice.

"Jenny, why don't you just sit down..." Stefan said.

Before Stefan could react, Jenny pulled out a knife and stabbed Stefan's arm. Stefan fell to the floor and Serena screamed.

Jenny was about to stab Stefan again when Serena grabbed her from behind.

"Jenny, stop!" Serena yelled.

Jenny struggled and accidentally stabbed Serena' side. Serena clutched her wound and fell to the floor.

Jenny was about to grab Serena, but Stefan got up and tried to stop her. Stefan tried to hold her down, but she kept struggling.

"Hold her down!" Stefan turned around and saw Katherine enter the apartment.

"What are you doing here!" Stefan shouted.

"Saving your asses for some reason." Katherine pulled out some herbs, which Stefan recognized as wolfsbane, and put them over Jenny's nose. Jenny continued to struggle, but she started to slow down and she fell unconscious.

Stefan let go of her and he moved to Serena, who was bleeding over the floor. Stefan eyes turned red and he sprouted fangs, which shocked a barely conscious Serena. He bit his wrist and put it over Serena's mouth. Serena, dazed, started to drink the blood and her wound started to heal.

She then passed out.

* * *

Serena opened her eyes and saw she was on the bed. She looked around and saw Jenny asleep on the couch, being watched by the girl Serena saw talking with Stefan. Serena saw Stefan sitting next to her. She noticed that his arm was healed, leaving no scar or scratch.

Serena started to breathe heavily. "What the hell happened!"

Stefan put his hand over Serena's hand. "Serena, we need to talk, again."


	7. Truths and Memories

**A/N: Please review.  
**

**I do not own TVD or GG.  
**

* * *

"I'm a vampire," Stefan simply said, not wanting to hide what he is to her.

Serena did not respond. She felt as if the room was spinning. "You have got to be joking."

Stefan took a deep breath. "Don't freak out after you see what I'm about to do." Stefan's eyes started to turn red, the veins around his eyes turned visible, and fangs sprouted from his mouth. He then quickly changed back.

Serena started to panic to what she saw. "It's not possible."

"Oh it is," Serena turned to girl speaking. "My name's Katherine by the way."

Serena shook her head and slowly got up. "So vampires are real?"

"And werewolves, witches, hybrids," Katherine added.

"And your..." Serena started to realize.

Katherine's eyes started to change, but she quickly turned back.

"Katherine that's enough," Stefan said.

"So," Serena said. "you've been alive for..."

"Over 150 years," Stefan finished.

"Well, you look good for being over 150 years old," Serena joked.

Stefan gave a small smile.

"Wow, you're taking this really well," Katherine said, slightly disappointed.

"Oh my god!" Serena remembered. "Jenny!"

"The other blonde girl, she's fine," Katherine said. "She wake up with a massive headache, but she'll be fine."

"Why did you give her wolfsbane?" Stefan asked. "Did you do this to her?"

"No," Katherine answered. "But I know who did, and if I'm right, we have a serious problem."

"You know who did this?" Stefan asked.

"She's not that hard to forget," Katherine said, a tome of disdain in her voice.

* * *

_1952_

_Katherine walked the streets of New York, enjoying the night and thinking which person walking along the street would be her lunch. Eventually, Katherine saw a red-haired woman walking towards an alleyway. Katherine smiled widely and followed her.  
_

_As she walked in the alley, Katherine saw the woman stop outside a door at the end of the alley. _

_Katherine then made her move. "You know. it's not smart for someone to walk in dark places by yourself." She sprouted her fangs and attacked.  
_

_However, before Katherine could reach her meal, she felt an excruciating pain in her head and she fell to the ground, clutching her head. "What the hell?"_

_"Vampires," the woman said. "Always thinking with their stomachs and not their brains." The woman turned around, her hand raised and a glowing red crescent moon tattoo on her palm._

_"A witch! Damn it!" Katherine said. "Okay, fine, sorry. Common mistake."_

_The woman dropped her hand and Katherine slowly got back to her feet. "How about we start over. Hi my name's Katherine." Katherine then extended her hand.  
_

_The woman looked at Katherine with distrust, but took her hand and shook it. "Loraine."_

_"So," Katherine said. "what's a witch doing in a city like New York?"_

_"Gathering items for a spell," Loraine said as she opened the door she was going to enter and Katherine saw an unconscious woman inside.  
_

* * *

"So this witch, Loraine, kidnapped a woman during the 50's," Stefan said._  
_

"Yup," Katherine replied. "And from the way she acted, she's done it dozens of times before."

"I understand that she took control of Jenny to get me," Serena said. "but why does she want me to take me, like those other women?"

Katherine had a grim look on her face. "I found that out later, after I also found what else Loraine was.

* * *

_Katherine followed and watched as Loraine brought the woman to a secluded forest and placed her inside a pentagram drawn on the ground.  
_

_"Exactly what kind of spell are you doing?" Katherine asked._

_"You'll see in a few moments," Loraine said as she raised her arms and started to chant.  
_

_After a few minutes, Katherine saw that Loraine started to convulse and scream in pain._

_"What's going on!" Katherine shouted._

_"My...transformation," Loraine said through her pain. She then continued to chant and Katherine saw the woman inside the pentagram started to convulse, scream, and change form._

_"Oh crap." Katherine looked up and saw that it was a full moon tonight._

_Inside the pentagram was a full transformed werewolf. Loraine ceased her chanting and fell to her knees. "My apologies, Katherine. But my pet needs to feed." Loraine snapped her fingers and the werewolf rushed towards Katherine.  
_

_Katherine used her vampire speed and made a run for it as the werewolf chased her._

* * *

"Loraine is a witch _and_ a werewolf!" Stefan said in shock._  
_

"That's not a common thing?" Serena asked.

"No, it isn't," Katherine answered. "After I got away from almost being a chew toy, I did some digging. Apparently there was some indiscretion between a female witch and male werewolf. They were killed obviously, but not before the woman gave birth. That began Loraine's bloodline."

"So Loraine's family can use magic, but they also have the werewolf gene in them," Stefan said.

"But that still doesn't answer why she wants me," Serena pointed out.

"I'm getting there," Katherine said. "I did more research and found out that Loraine's family made a spell for themselves that allows them to temporarily transfer their werewolf gene to someone else."

"You mean make someone else become a werewolf." Stefan was appalled by this.

"That's why she wants you," Katherine said to Serena. "Loraine needs to take someone before the full moon for preparation."

"But why did she pick Serena?" Stefan asked.

Katherine shrugged. "I don't know. She probably saw you when you were out and decided to pick you. She even used your friend to try to get you."

"Okay, so how do we stop her?" Serena asked.

"_We_ don't do anything," Stefan said. "You're staying here with Jenny. Katherine and I will find Loraine before she decides to go after you herself."

"You can't leave me out of this," Serena objected. "She attacked Jenny to get to me. I'm a part of this whether you like it or not."

"Oh for the love of god," Katherine said. "Just bring them both along."

"Are you insane!" Stefan shouted.

"We don't know how many people Loraine took control of," Katherine pointed out. "This way, more people, better advantage. Either way, she's going, with or without your permission."

Stefan turned to Serena and saw the determination in her eyes. He then sighed. "Fine, but not tonight. The full moon won't be out until tomorrow. We have that much time t look."

"Good," Katherine said. "Now if you excuse me, I need to make preparations." She then left.

After she left, Stefan and Serena saw that Jenny was waking up. Stefan looked at Serena. "Do you want me to tell her?"

"No, I'll do it," Serena said. "I'm going to need some proof though."

Stefan nodded. "I'll be here." They both then walked to Jenny.


	8. Preparations

**A/N: Please review.  
**

**I do not own TVD or GG.  
**

* * *

After recovering from the initial shock and seeing Stefan change, Jenny finally calmed down and Stefan and Serena explained what happened last night and what happened to her.

"So how do we stop Loraine?" Jenny asked.

"We don't know yet," Stefan said. "First we need to find her before she attacks Serena, again."

Jenny looked away, knowing that Loraine took control of her to kidnap Serena. "Sorry abut that."

"It wasn't your fault," Serena said. "You didn't know what you were doing."

Stefan soon received a text and he checked it. "It's Katherine, she needs help getting the things we need." He then turned to Serena. "Wait here."

"What?" Serena said. "No, we're going with you."

"You''ll be safer here," Stefan said. "Don't argue or I'll barricade the door" He then left.

"Harsh," Jenny said.

"He has no right to do that," Serena angrily said. "My life is the one in danger, not his."

"He's probably concerned because your life is in danger," Jenny pointed out.

"I can still help," Serena said.

"Anyway," Jenny said, trying to change topic, "What happened before I tried to attack you and Stefan? Did you talk you?"

"Well..." Serena then gave a small smile. "we came to an understanding."

Jenny smiled as well. "So are you two gonna get together now?"

Serena's smile quickly faded. "I'm not sure now, because..."

"Because he's a vampire!" Jenny shook her head. "Really, that's a deal breaker."

"Jenny, I can't do this," Serena said. "It's too complicated."

"Stefan was able to do it with this Elena girl," Jenny said.

"Yes, and she died," Serena pointed out.

"Okay, bad example," Jenny realized. "But still, do you still like him, even if he is a vampire? How does he make you feel?"

Serena paused for a moment. "He makes me feel that I can forgive myself for all the horrible things I did and move on."

"Isn't that happiness worth keeping?" Jenny asked.

Serena did not reply. "Let's just get ready for tonight."

* * *

Stefan arrived to the location where Katherine sent him, an abandoned warehouse.

"Your late," Katherine said as she came outside. "Having problems with your blonde pet?"

"Shut up," Stefan said. "Any leads on Loraine?"

"Maybe," Katherine said. "I had a few chats with some the bars around town. One said they a woman fitting Loraine's description."

"Did you find out where she is?" Stefan asked.

"Nope. Wherever she is, she's off radar." Katherine said. "Come on, I need some help carrying this stuff out."

Stefan walked inside the warehouse and saw Katherine taking some things from crates. He saw that they were full of guns and metal clubs. "Where the hell did you these!"

"I pulled a few favors," Katherine answered. "I also have these." She pulled out another crate full of wolfsbane. "In case Loraine decides to get hairy."

"Do we really need all this?" Stefan asked.

"It's not for us," Katherine said. "It's for your girlfriends."

"I'm not giving Serena and Jenny guns or clubs," Stefan said.

Katherine sighed in frustration. "What do you want, Stefan? We're not bringing them without something to defend themselves with."

Stefan saw the logic. "Fine," He grabbed two clubs. "But no guns."

Katherine sighed heavily. "You're no fun at all."

As they left, Katherine started asking Stefan questions. "By the way, how did it go with Serena? Did you two do it or what?"

"There are two reasons why I'm not answering that," Stefan said as they walked. "One, because it's a rude question to ask, and two, it's also none of your business."

"Well, judging from what I walked in to, you haven't yet," Katherine deduced.

"Yeah, well I wouldn't get any hopes up," Stefan said.

"Why not?" Katherine asked.

"After what Serena knows, I wouldn't be surprised if she doesn't want any part of my life," Stefan said.

"What are going to do, compel her and Jenny to forget everything about you and our world?" Katherine joked.

Stefan glared at Katherine with a serious face. Katherine was wide-eyed. "Your actually going to compel them!"

"If they want to, and I know they will, I'll compel them to forget me and everything that happened while Serena was with me." Stefan decided.

"Are you sure that's what Serena would want?" Katherine asked.

"Why do you care what happens to my life anyway?" Stefan asked, frustrated at Katherine's questions.

"Because, back at Mystic Falls, despite how I almost killed and/or tortured you or your friends, I still care about your well-being," Katherine admitted.

"Well, it's hard to see the caring when your killing or torturing me or my friends," Stefan said.

"Look, I'm just saying," Katherine began. "if Serena can accept all of this, don't waste your chance at happiness."

Stefan thought about Katherine's words. "Let's just take care of Loraine first."

* * *

Stefan and Katherine arrived at the apartment and showed Serena and Jenny what they brought.

"You've got to be kidding me," Jenny said holding the metal club.

"Take it or leave it," Katherine said.

"So what's the plan?" Serena asked.

"For now, we wait," Stefan said. "If Loraine makes a move, we need to be ready."

"Which means, I'll be going around town to see if I can find her," Katherine added. She then looked at Jenny. "and you're coming with me."

"What?" Stefan, Serena, and Jenny said in surprise.

"Easier to guard," Katherine pointed out. "Let's go, and bring the club."

Jenny slowly got up and left with Katherine.

"She'll be fine, right?" Serena asked.

"Well, if it's Katherine..." Stefan started to say. "Jenny'll be fine," he quickly answered.

They started to prepare for tonight, with Stefan giving Serena some wolfsbane and teaching her how to defend herself.

"I think I know how to swing a club," Serena said. She then tried lifting the club, which was heavier than she expected.

Stefan started to give a soft laugh as he could see her struggling. "Still think it's easy?"

"I can handle it," Serena answered, barely able to walk properly.

Stefan approached her. "You need to find the right stance. Don't force it."

As Stefan helped her, Serena could feel that they were getting closer. She then pulled away. "We need to talk about us." she said bluntly.

Stefan sighed. "What's there to talk about? Obviously, we can't see each other anymore."

"Why not?" Serena protested. "I don't care if you're a vampire, I still want to give what we have a chance."

"And then what?" Stefan asked, his voice raised. "You know things now. You know that there are things out there that can kill you. You're entire life will be a nightmare that you can't get away from as long as you know me. That's not a life I want for you."

"What can we do then?" Serena shouted. "I can't just forget about you?"

"Yes, you can," Stefan said. "I can compel you to forget about me."

Serena was speechless. "What?"

"Compulsion is an ability vampires have. I can use it to make you and Jenny forget about me, Katherine, and everything about my world.," Stefan explained.

"You can't just do that," Serena said. "What will I think happened all this time?"

"I'll think of a story," Stefan said. "All I know is no one wants to get involved with my world. Your better off not knowing."

Serena didn't say anything, not knowing what to do. "Are you going to compel by force?" she asked.

Stefan shook his head. "I'll do it if you want to, and I know you will."

"Stefan, I..." Before Serena could say anything else, both Serena and Stefan clutched their heads in pain and fell to the floor.

Serena soon passed out, but Stefan was still conscious enough to see someone enter the apartment, a woman.

The woman turned to Stefan and he could her giving a smile. "I don't believe we've met," the woman said. "My name is Loraine, please don't try to interfere, it can get very messy."

Stefan then saw Loraine pick up Serena and carry her outside. He then passed out.


	9. Rescue

**A/N: Please review.  
**

**I do not own TVD or GG.  
**

* * *

"We leave you on guard duty for less than an hour, and you manage to screw that up," Katherine said as she, Stefan, and Jenny started walking out of Chicago.

"Just keep walking," Stefan irritably said , knowing how much he screwed up.

"Let's just focus on saving Serena first," Jenny said, carrying the metal club. "Do you even know where we're going?"

"Yes," Katherine answered. "Loraine likes to work her spells around nature, so she and Serena should be in the woods out of the city."

"Any chances we're only going to have to deal with her?" Stefan hopefully asked.

"Best case, we'll have to go through some controlled people like blondie over there," Katherine guessed.

"Hey!" Jenny shouted.

"Worst case, she brought a coven with her," Katherine finished.

"So basically, prepare for anything," Stefan summarized.

They arrived in the forest and Stefan and Katherine, using their vampire hearing, could hear that their were more people roaming around the forest.

"Well, good news," Katherine said. "we're only dealing with regular people. Which means, easy snacks for me."

"No, Stefan said. "Don't kill anyone, just knock them out."

Katherine groaned. "Fine."

"Jenny," Stefan said. "go with Katherine."

"What!" Jenny shouted in shock. "I think I'd feel safer if I'm with you."

"No, it's better if I go alone, just stay close to Katherine," Stefan instructed. He then used his vampire speed and headed into the forest.

"Come on then," Katherine said. "I promise I won't bite."

Jenny simply groaned as they both headed for the forest.

* * *

As Stefan entered the woods, he quickly knocked out three controlled people. He then made his way where he saw bright lights. He finally reached the center, where he saw Serena chained inside a pentagram.

Stefan tried to approach, but suddenly, he lost control over his body.

"Don't bother fighting," Stefan turned and saw Loraine standing near the pentagram. "I've completely removed mobility in your body."

"Let Serena go," Stefan said, still trying to fight for control.

"I'm afraid not," Loraine answered. "The full moon will soon be out, and I've chosen your friend to be my substitute."

"You don't have to do this," Stefan pleaded.

"You do not understand what I've gone through," Loraine bitterly said. "I tried going through the transformations, and I couldn't stand the pain. This is the only way for me."

"And all the other people you've kidnapped?" Stefan asked.

"I brought them back," Loraine said. "Those that survived anyway."

Hearing this, Stefan continued to fight.

Loraine groaned and applied more magic on Stefan, causing him to drop to the ground.

"Now," Loraine looked up and saw the moon starting to rise. "time to begin."

Loraine walked back to the pentagram and started to chant. Stefan looked up and the full moon was out.

Loraine began to clutch in pain. "It has started." She continued to chant and Serena began to scream and her bones began to break.

"No!" Stefan shouted.

However, a gunshot was fired and Loraine was blasted back, causing Serena to stop moving and Stefan regained control of his body.

"Do I need to save your ass on a daily basis?" Stefan saw Katherine and Jenny walked in, with Katherine carrying a shotgun.

Loraine slowly got up, but Katherine fired again and knocked her back down.

"Wolfsbane-filled bullets," Katherine said. She looked at Jenny. "Go."

Jenny nodded and she approached a barely conscious Serena. Stefan approached as well and helped Jenny carry Serena out of the pentagram.

"I think her bones are broken," Jenny said.

"Hold her still," Stefan brought out his fangs and bit his wrist. He then started to feed Serena his blood. As she started to wake up, she felt that her bones were healing.

"What happened?" Serena asked, still disoriented.

"Let's just say you won't be chasing your tail," Jenny said.

Stefan quickly pulled Serena to her feet. "We need to get out of here now."

"I suggest we hurry," Katherine suggested. "Loraine's not staying down for long, especially with the moon up."

"Let's go," Stefan carried Serena and they made their way through the woods.

As they started to leave, Loraine started to cringe in pain.

"You'll all...pay!" Loraine roared as her bones began to break and she howled in pain.

* * *

Stefan and the others were still in the middle of the forest when they heard a loud howl.

"That's the sound of dinnertime," Katherine said. "We should move faster."

"What do werewolves eat exactly?" Jenny asked, slightly terrified.

"Usually anything with meat," Katherine replied. "but they usually have a preference for ones without a pulse."

"Wait," Serena said, fully awake, and turned to Stefan, "she's going to attack you?"

"That's not important right now," Stefan said. "We just need to get out of here first."

As they continued walking, they all heard rustling and swift running.

"She's here." Stefan put Serena down. "Start running. I'll lead her away."

"No, we can make it out," Serena pleaded.

"There's no time." Stefan turned to Katherine. "Get them out of here. Don't argue."

"The feelings mutual," Katherine said. She then threw Stefan the shotgun, grabbed Jenny and Serena by their arms, and ran at vamp-speed.

Stefan turned around and saw werewolf Loraine across him, hunger in her eyes.

"Alright then." Stefan cocked the shotgun as Loraine pounced.

* * *

They were able to reach as close as the entrance of the city, Katherine stopped.

"You need to go back and help him!" Serena shouted.

"Yeah, that's not happening," Katherine.

"You're a vampire," Jenny said. "Can't you handle a werewolf?"

"I would," Katherine said. "if a bite from a werewolf didn't kill a vampire."

Serena was shocked. "Why did Stefan stay behind if he might get killed!"

"Because that's Stefan for you," Katherine answered. "always playing the hero."

Serena was now frantic. She then turned around and attempted go back in the forest. However, Katherine got in her way.

"You are not going back there," Katherine said. "Not when I have to risk my neck for you two."

"Get out of my way," Serena said in a forceful tone.

"Or you'll what?" Katherine asked, feeling no threat at all. "In case you've forgotten, I'm a vampire."

Before Katherine could react, Serena stabbed her on the waist with a wooden stake she hid. Serena pushed it deeply inside and Katherine fell to the ground.

Jenny was in shock. "What the hell are you thinking!"

"Helping someone I care about," Serena said as she pulled some grenades off of Katherine. "Just tell her what happened when she wakes up." Serena then made her way back into the woods.

* * *

Stefan fired another shot, but Loraine was faster now and she was able to dodge all of his shots. Eventually, he ran out of ammo.

"That's just great." Before Stefan could do anything, Loraine attacked from behind and knocked him to the ground.

Stefan was now on his back with Loraine snarling inches away from his face. Stefan was able to keep his arm on Loraine's throat, keeping her from biting him, but Loraine's ferocity was bringing her closer to killing him.

Just then, a grenade was thrown in the air and exploded, burning Loraine with wolfsbane. Stefan was able to push her aside and knock her down. He then turned and saw a tired Serena in front of him.

"What the hell are you doing here!" Stefan shouted.

"Saving you life, apparently," Serena replied as she pulled out another grenade and threw at a still disoriented Loraine. Loraine was hit again and quickly ran back into the woods.

"We need to leave," Serena said. "Both of us this time."

Stefan simply agreed. Stefan grabbed Serena's hand and using his vamp-speed, they swiftly ran out of the forest.

* * *

As they got back out, Stefan and Serena Jenny sitting next to a conscious Katherine.

"I see you're awake," Serena said.

"I should kill you for what you pulled," Katherine bitterly said as she stood up. "but I'm impressed that you would have the nerves to do it, so I won't." She then looked at Stefan. "This one's a keeper. Don't let her run off."

Stefan gave a half-smile. "Let's go. We'll take care of Loraine in the morning."

Jenny stood up. "Works for me."

The four of them then headed back into the city.


	10. Final Confrontation

**A/N: Please review.  
**

**I do not own TVD or GG.  
**

* * *

The next day, the four of them returned to the forest. They reached the site of Loraine's spell, but when they arrived, they saw that the pentagram was scratched off the ground and all her things were gone.

Katherine and Stefan made a run around the woods, but found no trace of her.

"Nothing," Stefan said. "No sign of Loraine at all."

"She probably made a break for it after what happened last night," Katherine pointed out.

"So that's it?" Jenny asked. "She just gets away with this?"

"You can't win them all," Katherine said.

"Now what?" Serena asked.

"You two go back and stay in the apartment," Stefan instructed. "Katherine and I will look around, see if Loraine's still in Chicago."

"No you don't," Serena protested. "We all look together. Jenny will go with Katherine, and I'll go with you."

Katherine looked to Stefan. "It is better to have more sets of eyes."

Stefan sighed. "Fine."

They then headed back into the city.

* * *

"This is pointless," Jenny said as she and Katherine walked the streets.

"Come on, we just started looking," Katherine said.

"She's probably gone by now, its a waste of time," Jenny complained.

"Well, let's just hope the two lovebirds are having better chances than we are," Katherine said.

"Do you actually think that they'll still be together?" Jenny asked, a little surprised.

"Don't you?" Katherine asked back.

"Yeah I did, but that was before Serena got kidnapped and almost turned into a werewolf," Jenny said.

"I think that they can still make it together," Katherine said.

"How can you possibly know that?" Jenny asked.

"I've seen how Stefan cares about her," Katherine replied. "And after what Serena did to me last night, I can see that she cares about Stefan too. I'm sure they'll be fine."

"I wish your right," Jenny hopefully said.

* * *

"Are we going to talk about it or not?" Serena asked. She and Stefan have been going around for hours and he had been avoiding all her questions.

"There's nothing to talk about Serena," Stefan replied. "After we stop Loraine, I'm compelling you and Jenny to forget everything that's happened."

"What happened to having my own decision?" Serena asked.

"That was before you were taken and you almost died," Stefan said. "My life is too dangerous for you. I'm making the decision for you."

Now, Serena was furious. "Stefan you do not-"

However, Stefan quickly covered her mouth and they backed up. He then pointed across the street and Serena saw Loraine driving in a van.

"Let's go." Stefan and Serena then quickly followed the the moving vehicle.

* * *

They reached the van, which stopped in an abandoned building.

"Call Jenny and Katherine," Stefan said.

"What about you?" Serena asked as she pulled out her cellphone.

"I'm going in after her," Stefan replied.

"Stefan no!" Serena shouted. "You'll get yourself killed!"

"If I don't go now, she will have the chance to get away and do the same spell to someone else a month later," Stefan said. "I'm not going to let that happen again."

Before Serena could say anything else, Stefan headed to the building.

"Be careful," Serena said as she dialed Jenny's number.

* * *

As Stefan made his way through the building, trying to be as quiet as he can.

"So you have the nerve to follow me," Loraine's voice echoed through the building.

"I'm going to find you," Stefan said.

"And you'll do what?" Loraine mockingly asked. "I'm a powerful witch. I can easily kill you in a second."

"So why don't you?" Stefan asked. Loraine did not reply. "See I'm guessing that after you every full moon, you exhaust all your magic. Otherwise, you would have killed me all ready."

* * *

On the highest floor of the building Loraine walked around, irritated that Stefan had figured out her limitations

"You still won't be able find me!" she shouted as she continued to pace. However, the moment she turned around, Stefan was right in front of her.

"You shouldn't let your heart beat so fast then," Stefan said before he attacked Loraine. However, Loraine thrusted her hand through his stomach and he immediately felt searing pain.

"You forget that I still have my werewolf strength," Loraine said. "And just in case," she said before pulling her hand out of Stefan.

Stefan fell to the floor and clutched his stomach, which was still burning in pain. He saw that in Loraine's bloody hands, she was holding vervain.

"A little extra for the trouble you caused for me last night," Loraine said before she kicked Stefan right down the stairs and back to the lowest floor.

"I truly am sorry," Loraine started to say, "but you really should not have interfered." She then broke a floorboard and pulled out one of the pieces. "Farewell."

But before Loraine could deliver the fatal blow, she was hit from the back with a chair. Stefan could see Loraine collapsing to the floor and Serena going towards him and pulling him up.

"Are you okay?" Serena asked.

"I'll be fine," Stefan replied weakly. He dug through his stomach and pulled the remaining vervain out. His wound soon started to heal. "I thought I told you to wait outside."

"I wasn't going to let you go in alone," Serena said. "After I called Jenny and Katherine, I decided to go in too, and from what I can see, it was a smart decision."

Stefan was still in pain to argue. "Let's just go."

However, before Serena could pull Stefan up, she yelped in pain and started to collapse.

"Serena!" Stefan pushed past his pain and caught Serena before she fell. He saw that she was stabbed on her back with a knife and that Loraine had recovered from her knock out.

"This girl has become a thorn on my side!" Loraine said, irritated.

Stefan tried to stand up, but he could barely move. There was no way he could protect Serena and fight Loraine at the same time.

"It's time to put an end to you both!" Loraine raised another knife, preparing to kill them. However, she was quickly shot in the arm and she dropped the knife and was knocked back.

Stefan saw Jenny enter holding the wolfsbane-filled shotgun. "Sorry for the late entrance."

"Your just in time actually," Stefan said. Jenny then helped Serena and Stefan slowly got up and fed Serena his blood, healing the wound on her back.

As Loraine slowly got back up, she was face-to-face with Katherine. In her weakened state, Loraine now felt an emotion she hasn't had in a long time: fear.

"Goodbye Loraine," Katherine said with a twisted smile. "I'd say it was nice knowing you, but I'd be lying." She then jammed her hand through Loraine's chest and ripped out her heart, causing her to drop to the ground, dead.

"And that's the end of that," Katherine said and dropped Loraine's heart. She then helped Jenny with getting Stefan and Serena up.

"What are we going to do about her?" Jenny asked as they got outside, talking about Loraine's dead body.

"After we bring Stefan and Serena back, I'll take care of it," Katherine simply answered

They then continued to head back to the apartment.


	11. Endings

**A/N: Please review.  
**

**I do not own TVD or GG.  
**

* * *

When they got back to the apartment, Katherine gave Stefan some blood bags to feed on and regain his strength. As he got back to his feet, he saw Jenny placing Serena on the bed to rest.

"How many times is this going to happen until someone else dies?" Stefan asked in frustration.

"It's the life we have," Katherine responded. "eventually, someone we care about will die."

Stefan looked to Katherine. "You know what we have to do?"

"Are you sure about this?" Katherine asked Stefan.

"I'm sure," Stefan answered, anguish in his voice.

Katherine simply sighed and then walked towards Jenny. Stefan could hear Katherine saying that they needed to talk outside. Jenny reluctantly nodded and they left the room. Stefan then walked to Serena as she regained consciousness.

As she opened her eyes and saw Stefan, Serena gave a small smile. "I really need to stop waking up like this. This is about the third time you've saved me."

Stefan smiled back. "Well, I wouldn't need to keep saving you if you didn't put yourself in danger in the first place.

"I'll keep that in mind," Serena said as she chuckled. "So what now?"

Stefan gave no response.

Serena started to fell that there was something wrong. "Is everything alright?"

Stefan sighed. "No, it isn't." He then sat down beside Serena.

"Your going to do it aren't you?" Serena sadly asked.

Stefan just nodded, the situation too difficult to give an answer. "I'm sorry,he said.

Serena gave a grim smile. "It's not like I didn't see this coming. It was always going to end like this, wasn't it?"

"I wish it didn't end like this," Stefan confessed. "But it's the only way to keep you safe."

"I know," Serena replied. "But it doesn't change the fact of how much it sucks. No pun intended."

Stefan simply smiled and sat next to her. "I guess this is goodbye then."

"I guess it is," Serena sadly said.

They stared at each other for a long moment, not wanting it to end.

Stefan then leaned close and kissed Serena. She then kissed him back, a tear falling from her eye.

As they broke apart, Serena was on the verge of breaking then looked to his face "I love you."

Stefan held her hand and looked to her. "I love you too." He then began his compulsion.

"You got into an accident in New York," Stefan began. "You were in the hospital the whole time. After you got out, you left New York and decided to move into Chicago. You bought an apartment. From now on, you'll live here. You'll stay safe, keep yourself out of trouble, and you won't do anything to hurt yourself."

Stefan finished his compulsion and he could see Serena was disoriented and the compulsion was taking into effect.

Stefan stood up and grabbed all his things. He then walked to the door. "Goodbye Serena," he said in a whisper as he stepped out of the room.

* * *

As Stefan walked to the street, he saw Katherine waiting outside.

"So how did it go?" Katherine asked.

"I did it," Stefan answered.

"And?" Katherine persisted.

"I feel like crap," Stefan admitted.

Katherine smirked. "Letting go does that."

"Glad to see that you're enjoying my misery," Stefan bitterly said. "What did tell Jenny?"

"To summarize: wiped out the whole experience from her head," Katherine replied. "She's on her way back home, only remembering the fun she had in Chicago."

"Good," Stefan said. "It's for the best."

"Well, that's that then," Katherine said. "Now I'm off. After what happened, I don't think I'll be coming back to Chicago for a while."

"That's something we can agree on," Stefan said.

"Well, take care Stefan," Katherine said as she turned to the street and started to walk. "See you in the next century." She then waved goodbye.

Stefan waved back as Katherine walked away. He then looked at his apartment building one last time. "Time to get going." He then walked away as well.

* * *

Stefan rode his motorcycle until he reached the edge of the city. He looked back, thinking of Serena one last time. He then revved his engine and he was about to depart.

"Going somewhere?" Stefan heard a voice ask, a voice he didn't think he would here again. He turned around and saw Serena with her bags walking towards him.

"Serena?" Stefan got off his motorcycle was in shock. "I'm not hallucinating, am I?"

Serena chuckled. "No, your not."

"But that's impossible," Stefan said. "I compelled you. You shouldn't remember me."

"Well, I did a little research on vampires after you told me." Serena held out a bag full of vervain. "I've been taking them ever since."

"So you knew I wouldn't be able to compel you," Stefan said.

Serena nodded. "And I didn't want you to."

"I already told you Serena, this life will get you killed," Stefan argued.

"If I die, at least I'll be with you," Serena said. "I love you Stefan, keeping me away won't change that."

Stefan sighed. "So what now?"

Serena gave a small smile. "I think the better question is," she said as she raised her bags and put them on the back of Stefan's motorcycle. "where are we going?"

"You're actually coming with me?" Stefan asked.

"I don't see any other reason to stay here," Serena said, giving a smile. "So, what's our travel plan?"

Stefan shook his head as he pulled Serena close to him and passionately kissed her. As they broke apart, she could see him smiling. "You are unbelievable," he said.

"Thank you," Serena said with a smile.

They then got on Stefan's motorcycle, getting ready to leave.

"Ready?" Stefan asked.

Serena wrapped her arms around Stefan's waist and rested her head on is back. "Ready."

Stefan revved his motorcycle and they drove off, a new start and a new life together.

* * *

**A/N: Thank you for all who have followed this story. Please give me feedback of my ending. **


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